First test vehicle mission under Gaganyaan to be carried out in the next two months

The first test vehicle mission for the validation of crew escape system for Gaganyaan, the maiden human space flight mission of India, is planned in August or September 2023, according to information provided by the government in Parliament.

The Gaganyaan Mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aims to demonstrate the capability of conducting human space flight mission to Low Earth orbit (LEO) on-board an Indian Launch vehicle.

The first crewed mission of Gaganyaan has been scheduled for late 2024 or early 2025. ISRO plans to launch two uncrewed missions carrying a humanoid named 'Vyommitra' before this.

In a statement laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (August 3, 2023), Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh said that all subsystems of the Test Vehicle TV-D1 mission have been realised, and the Crew Module integration is completed.

The static tests of all Crew Escape System motors, as well as the Ground testing of Crew Module Propulsion system, are completed. Training of Astronaut crews in also being completed soon, MoS Singh said in the statement.

The statement also provided the status of other key elements of the Gaganyaan Mission:

1.The second Crew Module sub-assembly identified for uncrewed mission is completed and delivered by the industry.

1. The Orbital Module preparation facility construction is completed. Facility has been commissioned for integration activities of Test vehicle mission. Launch pad augmentation works for Gaganyaan are underway.

2. Recovery training plan by ISRO and Indian Navy, as well as recovery training program have been commenced at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.

3. The delivery of human centric products for crew training has commenced from various national labs. Testing of human centric products is underway.

The Orbital Module for the Gaganyaan Mission consists of a Crew module and a Service module. The former is a pressurised module which acts as living quarters for the crew. The orbital module will be positioned in approximately 400 km circular orbit around earth for one to three days. The Crew Module will return back at the designated location in sea.

On July 19, 2023, ISRO had successfully testing the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

ISRO scientists have said that the Gaganyaan mission will be launched on a human-rated version of the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark 3).